The archives of the articles, reviews, interviews and other ramblings written by Sarah E. Jahier (aka Fatally Yours).

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Resurrected (1992)

Every once in a while, I discover a horror film that has flown under
my radar. A film, despite its unique storyline and high production
values, has gone unnoticed by not only me, but also most of the horror
community. One such film is The Resurrected, a film by Return of the Living Dead director Dan O’Bannon and based on the H.P. Lovecraft story The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Released in 1992, The Resurrected
is a film I had heard nothing about until I watched it…and what I
discovered what a very well-done, very frightening and faithful
adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story.

Charles Dexter Ward’s (Chris Sarandon) wife Claire (Jane Sibbett)
hires private detective John Marsh (John Terry) to find out just what
kind of secret experiments Charles is conducting in an isolated
farmhouse once owned by long-dead relative and occultist Joseph Curwen.
As Charles becomes more secretive, his demeanor also changes and
strange, noxious smells emanate from the farmhouse. Claire and John
suspect the worse when victims of gruesome murders are discovered with
their flesh stripped from the bone.

The Resurrected is an extremely well-made film,
capturing the twists, turns and many colorful characters of the
Lovecraft story while adding a few tweaks to carry the story over into
modern times. The story is very unique and original and it is very
refreshing to see something different in the horror genre. It also
benefits from a multi-layered plot that unfolds at an engaging pace,
drawing the viewer deeper and deeper into the mystery of Ward’s
experiments.

The direction by Dan O’Bannon creates an atmosphere of mounting dread
and tension, making every flickering shadow menacing and every dark
shape a threat. There is a particular sequence in some dark catacombs
under the farmhouse that is dripping with dread. The only light is a
flickering flashlight, but that is quickly lost and then the characters
must fumble around in the dark with nothing but a few matches to light
some severely unpleasant creatures. The creatures themselves are
well-made and frightening, though some of the special effects are a
little dated. I did appreciate that they used stop-motion animation for
some “transformation” and creature sequences instead of CGI, though.

The acting is extremely well-done also, with the standout performance
coming from Chris Sarandon as Charles Ward. His transformation from
loving husband to raving lunatic is impressive and scary. The other
actors all do a fine job as well, with John Terry and Jane Sibbett
having great chemistry together and the supporting actors all giving
wonderful performances. The characters, even the supporting ones, are
all very well developed and really add to the storyline instead of just
being there for padding.

The Resurrected is a gem of a horror film that
deserves a far wider audience than it has received. It is a genuinely
horrifying film and one of the best Lovecraft adaptations. Its depth of
plot, breadth of characters and height of terror makes it a must-see for
horror fans who take their scares seriously.